Sint Maarten, Oh Boy! Also, Star Struck!

 Maria admiring our new solar panels!

Hiking with our friends on Tarentela (Al and Michele).  Now we know where the aliens landed too!

Maria and Michele on the trails on St. Maarten

Dinner with our friends on Watoosh (Loonie and Rita) and Cloud Street (Joanna and Bill) on St. Maarten

Dinghy tour around the Lagoon on St. Maarten/St. Martin

The unguarded border between the Dutch Side and the French Side of St. Maarten

Al (Tarentela) and Captain Steve with the Carnival Queen in Grand Case, St. Martin

Our good friends from Holland, Jan and Ida at their apartment in Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Rita and Steve at Carnival in Grand Case, St. Martin

Carnival parade in Grand Case, St. Martin

Yes, I Captain Steve is star struck.  Right down the dock from us is the famous sailor, Jon Sanders: Jon Sanders was the first man to circumnavigate Antarctica solo, circling the continent twice in 1981 – 1982 in his yacht, the Perie Banou. Now 80 years old, he has successfully sailed around the world 10 times.  This will be his 11th.

Jon Sander's sailboat

S/Y Aspen – March 16, 2020 – Log #170
Aspen Position: 18 degrees 02’ N  063 degrees 85’ W
Sint Maarten, Caribbean

How quickly things change, even for sailors out on the wild blue.

The news we hear from our friends and family up North is not good, as you obviously know.  Down here in the islands, we feel more isolated while quarantined in our own watery world.  Luckily for Maria and me, St. Maarten is one of the best places to be, in times of a global pandemic.

The infrastructure on the island has recovered on the Dutch Side, where we are located, so there are supplies of food, electricity and running water.  Aspen is berthed in a secure marina which obviously makes things easier and safer.

The winds of change are still swirling everywhere as we try to adjust to the flow.  Beginning tomorrow, the island of St. Maarten will not allow any flights into or out of the country.  Those tourists already here must wait until the end of the month before returning to their lives again.

With all public gatherings prohibited, we are left to enjoy the many beaches, abundant sunshine and more boat work on Aspen.  Yet St. Maarten doesn’t have any cases of the Corona virus.  We hope it stays that way!

Our thoughts go out to our friends and families so far away, hoping you stay safe and ride out this storm.

As Jimmy once sang my favorite lyrics:
“I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.”

Sail on, sail on Aspen…

PS: Just after I posted this blog, our friends from Australia told me Jon Sanders was in St. Maarten.  The last 2 pictures are of him! "Jon Sanders was the first man to circumnavigate Antarctica solo, circling the continent twice in 1981 – 1982 in his yacht, the Perie Banou. Now 80 years old, he has successfully sailed around the world 10 times.  This will be his 11th."

1. You can track our location using this: https://us0-share.inreach.garmin.com/SYAspen
2. Our sailing book, Voyage Into Hell, is available at Amazon.com (www.voyageintohell.com)
3. And the new book, Leadville Trail 100; History of the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Running Race is also available at Amazon.com (www.LT100history.com)